I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill Youby Ally Carter; published by Hyperion, New York, 2006; 284 pages.

Cammie Morgan is a legacy at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women. She’s roomed with her best friends, Liz and Bex, since seventh grade. Now 15 and starting her sophomore year, Cammie is about to test the boundaries of going to a school where your mother is the headmistress. She also has to find a way to welcome the new rich girl, whose father is a Congressman (and she uses the “b” word!), into her circle of friends; and to date Josh, the dreamy off-limits Townie, without being caught. All of the pedantic angst, drama and hilarity of being a teen girl are in this book. But there’s a secret, an extremely important secret: Gallagher Girls are in training to be spies. Quite a twist on a teenager’s tale!

I loved this quick read. It was like a cross between Get Smart!, Spy Kids, Mission: Impossible, and Harry Potter with a little Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants thrown in for good measure. Light reading to be sure, but that is why this book made the Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults list. Not every story has to enlighten or uplift or educate…sometimes a good book provides escape to another world. I want to be a Gallagher Girl! I did find Josh too-good-to-be-true and was disappointed that the abhorrent behavior of Dillon was not brought to Josh’s attention. But overall, as a quick pick, I was pleased with the book.

4P 4Q Grade Level: 6-9

Cover Art: The image of the prep-school girl in uniform, face cut off to avoid identification, and the use of a typewriter-style font with cut-0ut ransom-note letters for “love” and “kill” are very effective on this cover. I think it will appeal to teens, especially middle schoolers, and especially girls. The school uniform plaid of the spine and the ransom-note font mixed with typewriter type was hard to read on the shelf (I had to use the call number *gasp* to locate the book).

From Reading List: Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults: Spies and Intrigue List

a librarian's view of the worlds within Young Adult bookshelvesDisclaimers: Per the FTC regulations, please note that sometimes books are received for review for free by publishers or authors. All books (ARCs, galleys, library or purchased) will be reviewed fairly; no special consideration is given to anything reviewed on this blog. In addition, I make every attempt to avoid spoilers. Sometimes they happen inadvertently or because they are important to defend a review; not all spoilers have been removed or fixed. This disclaimer is a general statement included as a warning to readers.

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